The wind howled across the broken plains of Elarion.
Once a city of marble towers and silver bridges, it now lay in ruins — a graveyard of shattered statues and half-buried memories.
The moment Hayate stepped out of the Abyss Temple, the ground beneath his feet pulsed faintly, like something beneath the surface was breathing.
Kael unsheathed his sword.
"Stay alert. The ruins react to power — especially divine."
Selene placed a hand on her bowstring.
"Then they'll react to him the most."
Hayate stood silent, his cloak fluttering in the cold wind. The mark of the Blade of Reversal still glowed faintly on his arm, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
For a moment, he felt something calling him again — not from the sky this time, but from below.
"There's something under the ruins," he said quietly. "Something alive."
The City Beneath
Following Hayate's lead, they descended through a collapsed stairway into the underground.
The deeper they went, the more the air changed — thick with static and faint whispers. Torches flickered to life on their own, revealing murals carved into the walls: winged beings kneeling before a shadowed figure holding a sword of light and darkness intertwined.
Selene traced the mural's lines.
"That figure… looks like you, Hayate."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Impossible. These carvings are older than the System itself."
Hayate touched the wall — and the mural flared to life.
[System Alert: Temporal Residue Detected.][Sync Initiated – 18%...]
A shockwave burst from the wall, throwing everyone back. Dust and energy swirled as the stone cracked open, revealing a massive circular chamber.
At its center stood a girl — suspended in a crystal cocoon, her long black hair floating like mist, and a faint aura of crimson and gold surrounding her.
The Daughter of the Void
Selene gasped. "Who is that?"
Kael's hand trembled slightly.
"That's… impossible. The legends spoke of her — the 'Daughter of the Void.' The last creation of the ancient Sovereign."
Hayate stepped closer, drawn by the pulse of energy that matched his own.
"She feels… familiar."
As his fingers brushed the crystal, the System blazed in front of him.
[Warning: Sealed Entity Detected.][Override Authorization: Rengoku Hayate – Void Lineage Confirmed.][Seal Reversal Initiated.]
Cracks spread across the cocoon. A burst of dark light filled the chamber, and the girl collapsed into his arms.
Her eyes fluttered open — bright violet, like the edge of a dying star.
"You… finally came," she whispered weakly. "Master of Reversia."
The world seemed to hold its breath.
"Who are you?" Hayate asked.
"I am Astraea," she said softly. "Daughter of the Void. Created to guide the Sovereign's successor… and destroy the false heavens."
The Divine Assassins
Before they could react, a sharp whistle cut through the air.Three golden spears shot from the shadows, exploding against the floor where they stood.
Kael raised his shield just in time. "Angelic assassins!"
Figures stepped from the smoke — armored beings with halos of burning light. Their wings were pure gold, their eyes empty.
"Target confirmed," one intoned coldly. "Eliminate the Void-born anomaly."
Hayate stood, still holding Astraea.His crimson aura ignited, and the mark on his arm began to spin.
"I'm done being hunted."
He swung his arm — the Blade of Reversal forming out of black light.The moment it appeared, the world bent. Flames flowed backward, and the assassins' blades shattered before they even reached him.
Kael and Selene stared in stunned silence.
"He… reversed their attacks," Selene whispered.
The last assassin tried to flee — but Hayate's voice echoed through the ruins, deep and calm.
"Your gods sent you to erase me.""Then let them watch as I erase you."
He vanished — reappearing behind the assassin — and struck once.Reality folded, and the creature dissolved into golden ash.
[Quest Updated: Path of the Revenant – The Daughter of the Void Awakened.][New Ally Joined: Astraea – Support Type.][Hidden Objective Revealed: Trace the Origin of the False Heavens.]
As the chamber fell silent, Astraea looked at him with faint tears.
"Master… your awakening has begun. The heavens will tremble for what's to come."
Hayate's expression hardened.
"Then let them."